Let's see your frugal DIY mods!

Some fence part + a moving rubber band= tube light mounts

 

Made a snow brush out of the leftover broken end of the same scraper I used for my cargo net and a paint roller extension pole. Took off the rubber squeegee and it has a nice sharp edge for scraping. We will see how she performs if we ever get any decent snow.

 

I like it. Snow Rake!

 

I've been on the hunt lately for the foam kind, not too many places stock them.

 

SNOW-PRO

 

Y-e-s

 

Finally did the ammo box mod! Not as frugal as some of these but it was completely DIY and as cheap as I could do it.

Materials:
1/2"x2" carriage bolt (4)
1/2" washer (4)
1/2" hex nut (4)
Subtotal: $6.00 from local family owned hardware store

2 military surplus ammo cans
Subtotal: Around $25 each from local GI surplus

Foam spacers: Free, lying around the shop
Total: 56$ plus a lot of gas and about an hour of my winter break.

First I cut a 1/2" hole as high as I could (right below the lid) using a 3/8" pilot bit. Had to wallow it out to make up for the size difference. Next I just mounted them up and realized any weight in the can would create too much bending moment about the bed rail, and they are weak enough already so I used a hacksaw (overkill) to cut out some foam spacers from some sort of roof accessory foam we had and glued them to the outer side of the box to support against the side of the bed. It sits a little high but that was the best I could do without grinding the lids. It can be jiggled up and down because if I pulled the carriage bolts far out enough to where their squares were snug in the channel (boxes not movable in this position), they created a non level mount that looked poorly done, so I pushed them back into the bed rail and now they are close to level at the expense of some wiggle room. They will be unmounted and patriotically painted soon
I know this has been done a hundred times but I think I am first to address the bed rail stress issue. Hope this helps somebody! Next is fishing rod/flag pole holders.

 

Lookin' good. I added some support to mine also. Used some plastic and stuck it on with double sided tape. You may want to think about removing the handles and that piece by the lid pull. They will be rattling like a mofo.

 

ammo cans look great! This is next on my everlasting list of mods to do. Really like the foam idea so they are moving around too much as well. Keep up the good work!

 

To remedy your TPMS light issues, from not having the sensors installed... This is a $6 fix in takes 5-10 min.

Go to Harbor Freight and buy this wheel/tire:
Haul-Master - 10 in. Pneumatic Tire with White Hub - 30900 Deflate the tire

Unbolt the (2) halves of the wheel

Insert the TPMS sensors between tube and the tire's sidewall
-make sure the sensor side (soft side) is against the tube
-make sure the casing side (soft side) is against the tire

Reassemble wheel
-make sure the sensor isn't touching wheel

Inflate to desired psi...
-Place behind or under seat in vehicle

TPMS light should go off within moments
-no harm to sensors or vehicle

 

way easier than welding up a pressure bottle. nice job.

 

thanks!
I would have liked to use something like that too, I might "upgrade" it later when I paint them. As for theverything handles, I was expecting to remove them because I remembers your advice from a while back. Surprisingly, they haven't rattled....yet!

Thank you!

 

For the ammo cans, if you just put a mount on the back side of the can to connect to the rail that runs along the back of the bed, you wont have any issues with the can moving around. I did that when I did mine a few years ago and have had no issues.

see my build thread for info.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-builds/181524-gtaburnouts-radiant-red-ccsb-trd.html

 

I considered this when I mounted them but did not prepare for it (I only had 4 of everything) and for some reason I don't think I was able to get my cans flush against the back rail because of the lid. Which reminds me, luckily these big metal lids open right up to rest on the rubber window seal and not on your paint.

 

Sub'd

 

man that price is crazy around here we can get the 50cals for 10 bucks all day long, and the big 30mm cans go for $25.

 

Not to be a dick, but you really want to carry that tire around with you at all times?

PVC and some glue works just fine, no need for welding. Or you can just take them out and not worry about the little light that's on your dash.

 

He could put it on his keys like some crazy "don't lose me" gas station bathroom key ring.

 

Better yet: Sell the TMPS sensors to a fellow member, ignore or disable the light. This costs nothing and even makes you a few dollars.

 

So how are the sensors seeing air pressure if they're outside of the tube and not in it?